Bibliotherapy
Bibliotherapy is a method of psychological correction aimed at improving a person's emotional state. It helps reduce nervous tension, increase personal satisfaction, and replace destructive thoughts.
Bibliotherapy, which involves therapeutic effects on the psyche through specially selected literature, is one of the areas of art therapy. Unlike ordinary reading, corrective reading focuses on specific mental processes.
Emotional impact on the client can be either enhanced or reduced. In addition to strengthening mental resilience, bibliotherapy develops imagination, critical thinking, and communication skills. Furthermore, it helps:
- Achieve emotional relief.
- Find solutions to complex life situations through the analysis of what has been read.
- Learn positive and effective thinking.
- Reassess one's capabilities and find new ways of action.
- Get rid of destructive feelings such as shame, guilt, and fear.
- Increase motivation and activity.
History and directions of bibliotherapy
Bibliotherapy was used as far back as Ancient Egypt and medieval Europe, but it was officially recognized as a scientific direction in 1916 thanks to American psychologist S. M. Crothers. The method came to Russia in 1927 and began to be applied at the Kharkov Psychoneurological Institute.
This technique combines medicine, psychology, library science, and psychiatry.
There are several types of bibliotherapy:
- Bibliographic. It serves to distract from thoughts about illness and physical pain. The patient chooses books without restrictions or recommendations.
- Psychotherapeutic. Reading is used as part of therapy and is conducted by a psychiatrist, neurologist, or psychotherapist.
- Auxiliary. For neuroses or somatic diseases, reading is prescribed as an auxiliary treatment method with the participation of a psychotherapist or bibliotherapist.
Therapy can be individual or group. In the first case, the process is adapted to the personal needs of the patient; in the second, a schedule of meetings and discussions is created for the group of participants.
Stages of bibliotherapy
The process of bibliotherapy includes several key stages:
- Initial conversation.
The therapist identifies the patient's problem and learns about their attitude toward reading and preferred genres. - Therapist's self-preparation
The psychologist selects literature based on the diagnosis and information from the initial conversation. A brief annotation with the main ideas is attached to each book. - Second conversation
Literary preferences are clarified, and if necessary, the genre range is expanded. - Agreement on the literature list
It is determined which books the patient has already read or does not want to read. The time needed for reading and readiness for discussion are established. - Discussions about the work
The entire story or individual episodes are discussed, allowing for tracking emotional reactions and adjusting the perception of what has been read. 7-10 discussions are conducted, during which the therapist keeps records, and the client fills out a reading diary, describing their impressions and thoughts.
Bibliotherapy is a powerful tool for psychological help, which through reading helps improve emotional state and find solutions to life's difficulties. This method can be effective in treating various psychological disorders, helping people feel part of something bigger and important.
Main methods of bibliotherapy
In bibliotherapy, two main methods are most often used:
- corrective;
- psychocorrective.
These methods differ in the depth of impact on the patient's psycho-emotional sphere. The corrective method is usually used for life difficulties when a person needs to find new behavior patterns different from the usual ones.
For example, a person may see themselves in a literary hero and start copying their actions or way of thinking, which leads to improved emotional state and the acquisition of additional mental resources. This method is often used for patients in a severe, depressed state, when people see no reason to continue living, and sometimes they develop psychosomatic pathologies.
During therapy, patients are helped to uncover hidden negative experiences and emotions, providing an opportunity to reassess the situation causing the internal conflict. By comparing their life situation with that described in the literature, the patient realizes their role and can reconsider ways of expressing emotions, which helps significantly weaken or even completely eliminate the internal conflict.
Methods of conducting bibliotherapy
Therapy can be conducted in various ways, including:
- Reading aloud
Used in groups where each participant takes turns reading episodes aloud and discussing them with others. This allows each person to receive the information they need, listen to others, and express themselves. - Retelling
Used in group work, where each participant retells the read passage, sometimes from the perspective of the literary hero. This allows evaluating the situation from different viewpoints and seeing the conclusions made by other participants. - Essay writing
Used in both group and individual work. The patient is offered to write an essay on the chosen situation, creating a story from the beginning to the resolution of the problem. This helps develop a behavior model in a difficult situation. - Illustration. Participants draw situations or literary characters, which helps in diagnosing and clarifying the features of the psycho-emotional state.
- Identification. The patient is given a homework assignment to read a book passage, identifying themselves with the main character, and describe what happened from the character's perspective at the next session. This expands the boundaries of perception.
- Independent reading followed by discussion
A method for individual work, where the patient is offered one or several works for reading and subsequent discussion.
Bibliotherapy is a method of psychological assistance based on the use of books to improve a person's psychological and emotional state. Through reading books, a person can find answers to their questions, find comfort and support, and learn to cope with various life difficulties. Bibliotherapy can be an effective tool in treating various psychological disorders and helps people feel part of something bigger and important.